Tumblr is an online social network for blogging and connecting with other users. It is easy to post new photos and reblog what others have posted. I really like this system because of the Dashboard UI, which displays all the latest reblogs from everybody you follow. It is much different than Facebook or Twitter and you can share all types of media, from text to videos and audio too.

But what about the option of using a Tumblr blog for your company? The idea is very popular among new startups which are not interested in hosting their blog locally. This provides an external resource for managing company updates. And users who are on Tumblr may follow your blog to keep themselves in the loop with new posts. I’ll share just a few benefits to using a Tumblr blog and why it may be a good choice for your company.

External Hosting

The concerns of keeping your website up is a more hassle-free way to live. Granted this also comes with the burden of nervousness when Tumblr is having server issues or shuts down for maintenance. But it still gives you a distinct freedom which cannot be applied to managing your own blog.

I think that founders and company CEOs need to decide what their priorities are based on. Would you rather have your own internal team of server administrators to keep your website online? Or even if you want to pay a 3rd party webhosting company, you may still need to handle your own local data backups and renewals for the domains & hosting package. Tumblr is completely free and even offers a custom subdomain if you don’t have your own.

The external service also means you are not constantly working to keep the site updated. When WordPress releases a new version you should consider updating to patch any vulnerabilities or security holes. The same goes for plugins and other WP themes which receive updates. Just remember that while Tumblr can manage a good portion of the nitty-gritty tech stuff, this will remove a lot of control from your team.

Large Existing Memberbase

Consider the amount of people who use Tumblr on a daily basis. Many of these people run 2 or more blogs from the same account! They are constantly checking for new posts and updating with new content, which brings in more users to the network.

When you launch your company blog on Tumblr you can start following similar accounts related to your own interests. People will often check their new followers and follow back if they like your blog or product. Since the company blog will not require a whole lot of marketing, you can use this large network to your own advantage. Do not be afraid of reaching out to other members and letting them know about what you are creating.

Advanced Publishing Features

In comparison to WordPress you can have access to a lot of new features. The Tumblr backend is magnificent for allowing users to upload and store photos, smaller videos, audio files, and photo galleries. WordPress may be customized to handle these post types but it will take a lot more work.

Overall I think that Tumblr is a great choice if you know how to use it. Their services are completely free and you have the ability to redirect onto your own custom domain name. It is a fantastic option since your users will not notice much of a difference. And the people who are using Tumblr may now follow your blog to keep updated on all your new company posts.

Closing

I feel that Tumblr is a generally misunderstood network. There are so many various purposes and uses for their functionality. And because of this we can see a major divide between users in the overall member base. However it is worth your time to learn the system and see how it can give you a stress-free alternative to writing blog posts. If you have similar ideas or questions feel free to share with us in the discussion area below.

About Jake Rocheleau

Jake is a digital researcher and writer on many popular design magazines. He frequently writes on topics including web design, user experience, mobile apps, and project management. You can find him all throughout Google and tweeting @jakerocheleau.
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